Talking Foreign Policy

The only law school with its own foreign policy radio show

Frederick K. Cox International Law Center

Our international law program makes global experiences possible for every student. Our students work on real international law issues for real clients, ranging from assisting asylum seekers to suppressing global corruption, from combatting maritime piracy to prosecuting war crimes.

Welcome to the homepage of "Talking Foreign Policy," a radio program produced by Case Western Reserve University in partnership with WCPN 90.3 ideastream.

"Talking Foreign Policy" is a one-hour radio program, hosted by CWRU Co-Dean and Law Professor Michael Scharf, in which experts discuss the salient foreign policy issues of the day. The premier episode (airdate: March 1, 2012) covered the controversial use of predator drones, humanitarian intervention in Syria, and responding to Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons. Future programs will air about every three months.

In a recent interview with "The Daily," Scharf said: “We want to cover the most salient and interesting foreign policy topics in each program.” Because international policy issues are so prominent in a day-to-day news cycle but often can be difficult to grasp, Scharf pitched the idea for “Talking Foreign Policy” to WCPN 90.3 ideastream, Cleveland’s NPR affiliate, in 2012. He then lined up a few colleagues known for their ability to discuss complex foreign policy topics in an easy-to-digest manner. Each episode will feature a regular cast of participants, with Scharf serving as host:

The ethicist: Shannon French, director of Case Western Reserve’s Inamori Center for Ethics and Excellence;

The military expert: Mike Newton, professor of law at Vanderbilt University;

The international law professor: Milena Sterio, law professor at Cleveland State University; and

The negotiator: Paul Williams, president of the Public International Law and Policy Group.

The commentators will offer listeners a broad expanse of views, as their political beliefs range across the entire spectrum, Scharf said. In addition, the participants will strive to make the show casual and sometimes humorous, even when discussing serious topics. Additional experts may be featured in future programs depending on the topic. "We are also working on developing an academic component to the Program for high school and college courses," said Scharf.

Scharf, who joined the School of Law in 2002, is the director of the Frederick K. Cox International Law Center and the John Deaver Drinko-Baker & Hostetler Professor of Law.

Please check this webpage for dates/times of future segments of "Talking Foreign Policy." The show is broadcast in Cleveland on 90.3 FM, and is available for world-wide listening anytime here. Future programs will be video-taped in studio and will be available in both audio and video.